Monthly Archives: March 2012

(Update: This post incorrectly cited the source for the following information. The current citation is correct.)

SlipKnoT, a member over at Michael-Myers.net, collected the history of each mask used in the Michael Myers films. This history ranges from Halloween 1 all the way up to Rob Zombies Halloween 2 remake. So, without further explanation, let’s showcase what they found:

HalloweeN: The mask used in HalloweeN 1 was a store bought mask the Captain Kirk mask. Sculpted from a life-cast of William Shatner in 1975, and sold in stores from 1976 to around 1979. The mask used was bought from a Halloween store, had its eyes cut larger, eyebrow and sideburn hair removed, the hair misted brown, and lastly, the mask was painted white by Tommy Lee Wallace. The mask was worn by Nick Castle, and was worn by Tony Moran in the unmasking scene. It was also worn by various crew members.

HalloweeN II: The mask in HalloweeN II was the same mask used in HalloweeN I. After filming H1, Debra Hill kept the mask very poorly under her bed. Because of the poor condition it was kept in, the mask discolored severely and that’s why it looks the way it does, aside from the fact that Dick Warlock (Myers, H2) had a shorter and wider face than Nick Castle (Myers, H1). Dick Warlock wore the mask.

HalloweeN IV: The mask used in H4s origin has been argued. There are many theories about the origin, most commonly that it is a recast/retool of the 1984 The Mask, made by Don Post Studios. This version of The Mask was never licensed or trademarked, making finding them next to impossible. It should also be noted that this mask didn’t have eyebrows sculpted on they were glued in place. The mask also had white hair placed on first, before it was misted black. The mask was worn by George P. Wilbur.

HalloweeN V: This mask strays from the original design because the director wanted Michael to have an angrier expression as opposed to the blank and featureless face we saw in previous films. When filming a scene, Pleasence (Dr. Loomis) accidentally hit Don Shanks (Myers, H5) in the nose, breaking it. As a result, they had to cut out the nose of the mask and add on a paper thin nose cut off of another H5 mask. The edges of the nose appliance can be seen clearly in a lot of the film. Don Shanks wore the mask.

HalloweeN VI: The HalloweeN VI mask had a very odd goblin type look to it. This mask was sculpted by John Carl Buechler. The mask used in H6 had chemicals rubbed inside and outside of the mask by a disgruntled effects artist, thus destroying most existing copies. This is what made the mask look different in the ending, and re-shot scenes. This is the second time the mask was worn by George P. Wilbur.

HalloweeN H20: There were a total of 4 masks used an H6 mask, retooled by Brad Hardin, used in the opening scenes and a KNB mask, used for most of the primary shooting. As they were wrapping up production it was decided that the KNB mask wasn’t adequate. They hired the Stan Winston FX company to sculpt a new mask which they used to reshoot a lot of the scenes. Lastly, due to time or budget restraints they had to CGI over the mask in a couple of scenes. Chris Durand wore the masks.

HalloweeN Resurrection: The HalloweeN Resurrection mask looked a lot more sinister than masks before it, and it featured painted eyebrows, human hair, and clear features. Brad Loree wore the mask in this film.

Rob Zombies HalloweeN: The mask was sculpted by Wayne Toth and worn by Tyler Mane. It was actually sculpted on a lifecast of Tyler Mane, giving the mask most of Manes features. Toth didn’t account for latex shrinkage so the mask was very tight. In the scene where Michael first puts on the mask you can see where he goes from having the long wig hair to his natural short hair. Because of this, Toth actually had to glue hair inside the neck of the mask, to make it seem like Mane still had long hair under the mask. This is the very first mask to stray beyond just a white face, as this mask has a lot of rot and deterioration combined with shades of black, gray, and green in various places.

Rob Zombies HalloweeN II: The mask was again sculpted by Wayne Toth and worn by Tyler Mane. It was again sculpted on Manes life-cast, making the mask have strong Mane features. Toth sculpted this mask bigger than the H9 sculpt, so the mask would fit Mane more comfortably. As the time goes on the mask deteriorates further, till the point it is just a dirty brownish mask. Michael gets slapped and it causes a part of the mask to rip off, which causes the Exposed look we’re all so familiar with. This is the first film to have Michael’s face exposed through most of the movie.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is only months away, which means the film is entering the final weeks of post-production. The trailers are available, pictures are all over the Internet, and the hype is building.

But don’t get too excited. According to a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Ridley Scott is having issues with the film’s MPAA rating. Even though the entire Alien franchise has kept a steady R rating, Prometheus may see a theatrical release with a PG-13 rating.

“Right now I don’t know where we are,” Ridley Scott told Empire. “The question is, do you go for the PG-13, or do you go for what it should be, which is R? Financially it makes quite a difference, or the risk makes quite a difference, and yet you also have to apply the question — if you soften it, will you financially suffer? As opposed to just going for the throat and gambling. Essentially, it’s kinda R. The little bastards will still get in anyway, so what’s the difference? It’s not just about blood, it’s about ideas that are very stressful. I’m not an idiot, but I’ll do everything I can to get the most aggressive film I can.”

Before anyone gets all hot and bothered about the PG-13 and R rating difference, and that Ridley Scott seems to be selling out, let’s look at the official definitions and classifications for the ratings system. Ridley Scott may still be able to deliver an intense sci-fi thriller blood, guts, death, the whole works even with a PG-13 rating.

Taken from FilmRatings.org, here is the definitive classification for a PG-13 movie:

“Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion pictures single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context.”

So you can swear, but only once, and not in a sexual context. You can show a nipple, but only in passing, and not in a sexual context. You can include violence, but it cannot be realistic and extreme or persistent violence. (Tell that to The Hunger Games.)

All right, let’s check out the R rating classification, again from FilmRatings.org:

“An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.”

As far as I can tell, that definition includes no restrictions. If your movie includes drug use, it’s cool. If you include a 10-minute murder scene, nice. If you want a sex scene that leads to a drug use scene and then finishes with a murder scene, more power to you!

Will Ridley Scott deliver a film as intense as Alien, even with a PG-13 rating? I don’t see why not. He’s an amazing director, and I have faith in his abilities. Am I disappointed that he may cut the rating down due to financial gains? Sure, but that’s his choice. I’ll see the movie regardless of its rating.

Audiences thirsted for teen death this past weekend and The Hunger Games satiated that thirst, pulling in approximately $155 million in US and Canadian box offices. Add on the global markets and the movies gain rounds out to around $214.3 million.

Sound like a lot of money?

That’s because it is The Hunger Games now holds the record for third biggest opening weekend for a movie, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight. Even more incredible, though, is that the movie had a solid Saturday night showing, totaling $51 million in sales, which ranks second all-time behind Spider-Man 3 ($51.3 million).

As you can see, though, the two movies beating The Hunger Games for all-time best opening weekend are sequels. That means The Hunger Games now holds the record for highest grossing opening weekend for a non-sequel film, beating out the previous champion, Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million).

In addition, $10.6 million of the total sales came from people viewing the movie on an IMAX screen. As stated on Box Office Mojo, that’s a very impressive figure for a 2D movie that doesn’t include any footage shot in IMAX.

Plus, the film can still make money off toys, DVDs, Blue-ray discs, clothing, and royalty rights for Halloween costumes. For Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, this cash cow is set to be milked for many years to come, especially since this is only the first film of the trilogy.

Chernobyl Diaries, a soon-to-be-released horror film penned by Oren Peli, the writer behind Paranormal Activity, depicts American tourist exploring the abandoned area of Chernobyl. If you skipped history class, Chernobyl is home to one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters a reactor exploded and forced some 350,000 people to evacuate the surrounding areas.

Since the evacuation, the abandoned areas have been ransacked, vandalized, and then, in 2002, turned into an extreme tourist location for visitors. According to Alcon Entertainment co-Chief Executive Andrew Kosove, the extreme tourism trips taken to Chernobyl are what inspired the making of Chernobyl Diaries.

The film follows a gang of American tourists who take a day trip out to Prypiat, the closest abandoned city to the Chernobyl reactor. They take photos, laugh about being wild and crazy, and generally show off their American attitude toward historic monuments. But when the sun sets and it comes time to leave, their tour guides car doesn’t start and they’re stuck in the city, which happens to be filled with ravenous mutants.

Get ready to bust out those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes, because after taking on the Transformers franchise, Michael Bay has set his sights on making a live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. But before you go hooting and hollering in celebration, lets take a look at Michael Bays official statement:

When you see this movie, kids are going to believe one day these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie. These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable.

In response the Internet exploded into a disarray of arguments revolving around seven words within Bays statement: These turtles are from an alien race. The original story depicts turtles succumbing to alien goo, which mutates them into anthropomorphic warriors. Bays claim of the turtles stemming from an alien race would essentially rewrite 30 years of TMNT history, and TMNT fans made sure to let him know about their disapproval.

Michael Bay defended his statement by saying, Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn5iCn_T68c

But lets be honest Michael Bay is a pornographic director disguising as a film creator. The story and dialogue are only there to move the film onto the next money shot scene of explosions and big breasted women running in front of expensive cars. I doubt he cares whether the turtles are from space or from radioactive ooze. He sees a franchise worth turning into a pile of cash, and he knows people will see it regardless of the origin story.

Ridley Scotts Prometheus, the anticipated spinoff/prequel/whatever to the classic film Alien, saw a new trailer hit mainstream media over the weekend. The trailer premiered at WonderCon, an annual convention celebrating science fiction, comic books, and motion pictures, in Anaheim, California.

The film takes place in the same universe as Scotts Alien franchise, though it is unclear whether Prometheus takes place before or after the series. As you can see in the trailer, Noomi Rapace wears the mantle of lead ass-kicking brunette, while Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, and Michael Fassbender act as her supporting team of space explorers.

As stated on MSN, Scott has been tight-lipped about the movie, but says a sequel should be in order should this one successfully scare the goo out of audiences.

Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Dark Shadows is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, and the official trailer has finally hit mainstream media. But I don’t know what to feel about it. The trailer begins with an eerie vibe, but it quickly becomes a comedy focused on Barnabas Collins struggle to fit in with modern day culture.

The film includes such big-name actors and actresses as Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Jackie Earle Haley. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 11.

As the writer and director of both Human Centipede films, Tom Six may be the craziest man in Hollywood. And how does the craziest man in Hollywood up the ante with his third installment of The Human Centipede? By adding more people to the centipede, of course!

Two days ago Tom Six sent out this Tweet: #humancentipede3 will have a 500+ person pede. XXXXL American style!

The first film featured German actor Dieter Laster, who played a surgeon bent on creating a three-person human centipede. The second film starred Laurence Harvey as Martin, a parking lot attendant, who went one further and created a twelve-person centipede. There is no word of who will take the mantle of lead actor for the third installment. But at this rate, if there is a fourth film, we’ll likely see a human centipede long enough to wrap around the globe.

According to IMDB, Tom Six has cast himself as a supporting role for the final film of the trilogy. Filming starts this May and the American release will be sometime in 2013. I’m excited to see what kind of Halloween costumes come out after the film. “Gather up 499 friends and be the human centipede this Halloween!”

Back in 2011, Universal Pictures denied the possibility of turning Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series into a trilogy of feature films and two limited run TV series. According to Deadline, the film is now said to have landed in the hands of Warner Bros and is set to continue production.

The Gunslinger

The change of hands was due to the films budget, which exceeded Universal Pictures comfort zone. Akiva Goldsman, the screenplay writer for the project, edited the script and cut $45 million out of the expected budget.

Brian Grazer, a producer behind the project, told MTV during an interview, When people say no to you enough, then you have to lose money, which we’ve done without harming the scope of the film. He then discussed the television series, We’ll do the TV with HBO, and we’ll do the movie with to be determined. We’ll do it right.

Ron Howard is scheduled to fill the role of director. If the project were completed all three films and the two television series it would be the most ambitious undertaking since Peter Jackson consecutively filmed The Lord of the Rings movies. Good luck, Howard.

Javier Bardem.

Roland Deschain, the infamous Gunslinger star of The Dark Tower novels, will be played by Javier Bardem. Anyone who has seen No Country for Old Men will know why this actor is perfect for filling the shoes of Roland Deschain. However, as stated on Deadline, Bardems participation would depend upon his availability, but he was firmly attached when the project was at Universal.

Filming is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2013. Expect The Dark TowerHalloween costumes soon after.

According to ABC News, the recent floods in Wagga Wagga, Australia, have caused approximately 8,000 individuals to evacuate their homes. James McTavish, the Murrumbidgee SES controller, told ABC News, In Wagga itself, we’re expecting at 10.6 metres to have very extensive flooding through North Wagga and surrounding areas.

And it is within those surrounding areas that a spider belonging to the Linyphiidae family is struggling to survive. Countless numbers of the spiders have taken to bushes, trees, tall grass anything that gets them up and away from the floodwater.

The spiders are called Sheet Weavers due to the shape of their web. Normally, the webs are rather thin, not as dense and observable as the ones surrounding Wagga Wagga. The condensing of the spider population has created a gigantic sprawl of a web.

Sheet Weavers travel by climbing to the highest point, casting a strand of silk into the air, and waiting for a strong gust to pull them to a new, unknown destination. The problem in Wagga Wagga, though, is that so many spiders are trying this at the same time, creating a spider congestion.

Graham Milledge, entomology collections manager at the Australian Museum, said, The behaviour is called ballooning that is how [the spiders] disperse. They often land in the same place and that is why you get this large mass of them.